New Delhi | Jagran Entertainment Desk: On the 104th birth anniversary of Amba Laxman Rao Sagun, popularly known as Lalita Pawar, the lady who brought the character of 'Manthara' into existence, as she played the role of this back-humped elderly woman in Ramanand Sagar's legendary creation based on Hindu mythological tale, Ramayana, let us dig-in-to her most applauded role, as Manthara--the plot creator of Ramayana.
Lalita started her career at a tender age of nine with YD Sarpotdar's Raja Harishchandra. Lalita born in an orthodox family where she was not sent to school. The lady, who is less known as Amba, has appeared in a total of 700 movies and TV series. She also played the lead actress role in 1942 film 'Jung-E-Aazadi' which left an inerasable print on her life.
Lalita was the lead actress in the movie co-starring with Master Bhagwan. Master Bhagwan was a new actor back then and hence while shooting for a scene where he had to slap Lalita, his virtual aggression went physical and he ended up hitting her so hard that Lalita's left eye's vein tore and she developed facial paralysis.
Injuries often leave a visible mark which is where a person who works in the film industry goes behind the screen, but Lalita Pawar didn't give up, she switched to side roles from the center stage and this is how Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana got its Manthara.
Playing the role of queen Kaikeyi's maid; Manthara was what made Lalita's acting career special, though the role of Manthara is mere an episode-long, even a perfect monologue leaves an everlasting impact, the character of Manthara impart a physical being to our imagination as Lalita did, her role in the series comes where the happy talk turns to a hindered road.
The TV series, Ramayana, was telecasted in 1987 when film-maker Ramanand Sagar thought of considering TV as a medium. Back then television was not regarded as a profitable business, yet the Ramanand Sagar took the risk to create one of the most fragrant TV show, in the past and even in the contemporary time.
Initially, as the film-maker was not much supported with his idea to enter into TV funding was a problem, as they say, have faith! This Doordarshan TV series earned 40 Lakh each episode. Today Ramayana owes a viewership of 650 million in 55 different countries.
Primarily the show was to be kept as 52-episode-series, after gaining an incredible account of viewership, the show was expanded to 78-episode series.
Posted By: Aalok Sensharma
